


Clouds in My Coffee

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2000-09-17
Updated: 2000-09-17
Packaged: 2019-05-15 22:51:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,033
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14799494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: It only takes a cup of coffee for Danny to get a date with CJ.





	Clouds in My Coffee

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Hi, folks! This is my first completed TWW fic, although I've done some  
for Ally McBeal this is very different and I don't know how it came  
out. Let me know what you think, be honest, but let me just say that  
none of this was written earlier than 11:00 p.m.  
Thanks!  
Jesse  
Disclaimer: The West Wing belongs to the great and powerful Aaron  
Sorkin, NBC, and very possibly a host of others who I don't know  
about…let it suffice to say that it's not mine, the characters are not  
mine, and I'm not making any money off of this.  
The song quoted is Carly Simon's "You're So Vain", also not mine.

Clouds in My Coffee 1/1

White House Press Secretary CJ Cregg answered the knock at her office  
door with a startled but groggy, "Come in." As she processed the red  
headed man walking in as being reporter Danny Concannon, she combed her  
fingers through her hair. It was 6:00 a.m., and Danny could see that  
the pallor of sleep still clung to her face.  
"Danny? What the hell? It's six A.M.…" CJ started weakly.  
"I know. I also know that you've been here earlier than this every  
day this week. I know, too, that you'll like me a lot when you see what  
I brought you," Danny began, in the way of an explanation.  
"Please tell me it's hot, brown, and contains some obscene amount of  
caffeine, " CJ said wearily.  
"Ding Ding Ding! You've just won our game," he said, bringing out a  
tall, steaming cup of coffee from behind his back and placing it on her  
desk.  
"What's my prize?" she asked, half playfully and half suspiciously.  
"A date with me," said Danny, grinning slyly.  
"Go away," ordered CJ, dropping her head face down onto her desk.  
Danny reached for the coffee. "Leave it," CJ barked, her words  
surprisingly clear despite the loads of paperwork she had buried her  
head in.  
"Nope, sorry, if I can't have a date, I'll need to take this coffee  
to console myself…" he teased.  
"Die and rot in hell, Danny," CJ groaned.  
"Just say yes," he pleaded.  
"Yes, damn you, Danny, but I hope you die first. Now give me the  
damn coffee," she gave in, with much exasperation.  
"Really? Did you just say yes?" asked Danny incredulously. He had  
been startled into setting down the coffee, though, and CJ grabbed it.  
She took a long, long drink, and setting it down, finally answered him.  
"Absolutely not. Get out and let me work."  
"But I brought you-" he started.  
"I know. You tried to use it to manipulate me. If you had brought  
it because you were a nice guy, now, things might have turned out  
differently," explained CJ smugly.  
"I'm a nice guy!" Danny protested earnestly. "I brought you a fish!  
And fish food! I offered to teach you to kayak!"  
"Get out, Danny!"  
"See you at the briefing in--" he glanced at his watch "--four hours  
and forty three minutes. Unless I come to visit again before then…"  
"If you do, so help me, Danny, I'll-"  
"You'll what?" he inquired.  
"I don't know yet, it's too early. I'll think of something, trust  
me."  
"You know me, I can't resist a surprise. See you later," Danny said,  
grinning as he ducked out.  
"Danny!" CJ yelled angrily after him. She dropped her head back onto  
her desk. "Damn it, there isn't enough caffeine in the world to keep  
me going right now, she muttered to herself as she drifted off to  
sleep.  


* * * * * * * * * * * *

About an hour later, Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman knocked  
anxiously on CJ's door. She had agreed to meet with him in his office  
at 7:00, and for CJ to be fifteen minutes late was very unusual.  
"CJ?" Josh said loudly as he tentatively pushed her door open. Her  
head jerked up with a start.  
"Danny?" she said sleepily. "You were just-the fish-" she began to  
ramble, obviously not quite seeing that it was Josh that had just  
walked in.  
"CJ, it's me, Josh…what were you saying about Danny? Were you asleep?  
No wonder you didn't meet me at seven-" he said with a note of  
concern, only to be cut off by a suddenly wide-awake CJ.  
"Seven? Oh, God, it's almost 7:30! Shit!" CJ rifled frantically  
through her papers. Her hand knocked into a small cardboard canister  
under a folder. She pulled out the fish food slowly, looking  
thoughtful and more calm than she had a second ago. She began to feed  
her fish, Gail, which had been a present from Danny not so long ago.  
Josh observed all this carefully, , as well as the fact that he had to  
remind her to stop feeding the fish when he realized that she was in  
danger of putting the whole canister into the fishbowl.  
"CJ? What's up? You ok?"  
"What? Oh, I'm fine, Josh…just a bit tired-sorry I was late, but here  
you are so let's work on this thing-"CJ said, attempting to shrug off  
her uncharacteristic behavior.  
"We're okay, this thing can wait…Tell me what's going on with you.  
And…Danny," he ventured.  
"Josh, it's nothing. Come on…" CJ said dismissively.  
"CJ, when I woke you up, you thought I was Danny…did you have a dream  
about Danny Concannon?"  
"I- well- I- yes," she finally admitted.  
"Well? What was it?"  
"I dunno, Josh, I don't want to talk about it," she said,  
embarrassed.  
"CJ, come on! I won't tell anyone, or laugh, or…be a jerk…promise!"  
he begged curiously.  
"Joshua! Fine," she conceded. "I had this dream that you, Leo,  
Toby, Sam, the President, the staffers, everyone, had these smirks on  
their faces and whenever I asked someone what was going on, they just  
said look out your window. So finally I did, and there was Danny,  
dressed as a goldfish and holding a giant coffee pot…he asked me out.  
I said yes," CJ mumbled, head down.  
"Well, duh, CJ…Say yes to Danny for real! We've all been waiting for  
it. You guys make a great couple-"  
*Click*  
CJ awoke with a start (for real this time). She wasn't sure what had  
awoken her, but she thought it had sounded like a door clicking shut.  
It had woken her just as- she suddenly remembered Josh's words in her  
dream.  
"Damn." She shook her head as if to clear it. "Gail, I have to talk  
to your dad…" she said to her fish. She happened to notice the clock,  
however, and began searching through paperwork.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Later that morning, CJ walked briskly through the halls of the West  
Wing toward the press room. "Carol, let them know I'm on my way,  
please," she called to her assistant. CJ was searching for a certain  
single red-haired father of one (goldfish) who she was about to knock  
for a loop.  
"CJ? You weren't, by any chance, looking for me, were you?" asked  
Danny in his usual facetious tone as he popped out from behind the  
coffee pot.  
"Jesus, Danny, don't do that! But yes, I actually was…I have to talk  
to you after the briefing," said CJ, sounding annoyed.  
"Talk to me now," he said hopefully.  
"No!" insisted CJ.  
"Why not? Could be fun," Danny persisted.  
"'Cuz, here we are at the press room and I have a briefing to do, I  
don't know but I'm guessing you're supposed to be there…" CJ retoreted  
as the walked into the Press Room. "Now sit!"  
All during the briefing, Danny watched CJ even more closely than  
usual, while she did her best to avoid meeting his eyes. He could tell  
she had something important to say to him.  
As soon as the briefing ended, Danny made his way up to CJ.  
"Well, what's up?" he asked, trying not to sound too eager.  
"Let's talk in my office," she said, leading him towards it.  
"Hey, the last time you wanted to see me in your office, it was to  
start grabbin' me and kissing me, so this can't be too bad," he  
commented.  
They walked into her office and CJ closed the door.  
"You'll wanna remember that you closed the door this time," Danny  
told CJ.  
"Danny!"  
"I'm just sayin, the last time you forgot…" he said.  
"I did not forget, I just…didn't see it. I was preoccupied…oh, come  
on, anyone would have walked into a door…I had a lot on my mind…the  
State of the Union…"  
"My kissing you…"  
"Shut up, Danny."  
"Ok. So, what's up?" he asked for the second time.  
"Have dinner with me. Tonight." CJ abruptly blurted this out,  
wanting to get it over with.  
"Come again?" he said, astounded and afraid to believe his ears.  
"You heard what I said, will you?" CJ demanded.  
"Well, yeah, …but…five hours ago, you told me to die and rot in  
hell…I'm not complaining or anything, but what happened?" he asked,  
confused.  
"I fell asleep. I was at the point where an intravenous flow of  
caffeine wouldn't have kept me awake."  
"I know. I came in to see how you were gonna fulfill your  
promise…threat…and you were asleep. I sat for a little while watching  
you…you looked so peaceful, for once…"  
"Danny! I don't believe you…I must have woken up when you left, I  
thought I heard the door…anyway…I had a couple of dreams about you."  
"Ooh, I must have looked pretty good there," said Danny, smoothing  
his hair.  
"You were in a goldfish suit, you narcissistic fool! But, I was  
convinced…what Josh said…never mind. Pick me up at eight. See you  
then," she told him, her tone making it clear that the conversation was  
over. Danny turned to leave the office, dazed.  
*WHACK*  
"Danny, I thought you said to remember the door was shut," laughed  
CJ.  
"Ow. Yes, I did, didn't I. Well, see you at eight, then." Danny  
opened the door and made a more successful second attempt to leave. He  
headed back to his office, beaming. On the way he passed Josh.  
"Hey Josh! Thanks a lot!" he called to the harried looking Deputy  
Chief of staff.  
"Uh, hey, Danny…what'd I do, exactly?"  
"I have no idea! Thanks!"  
"Okay, whatever…" Josh muttered to himself, puzzled but beyond  
caring. "Either he he has had way too much coffee or I am in serious  
need of a cup or…twelve. Possibly both."  
Danny picked CJ up at 7:55 - although punctuality was not a strong  
suit of his, he made a special effort for CJ. He brought her to a  
small, homey restaurant with a mellow -voiced singer woman singing on  
stage near a wooden dance floor. They ate their meal and quickly  
headed over to start dancing. After they had been dancing for awhile,  
CJ went up and said something to the singer, who nodded. When she got  
back to Danny, he was naturally curious.  
"What was that?" he asked her.  
"You'll see," said CJ with an enigmatic grin.  
"That grin is very sexy, CJ. I'm beginning to enjoy constantly being  
kept in the dark," Danny said flirtatiously. Just then, the singer  
said, "This next song is from CJ to Danny, she says that there are two  
lines in it that will always remind her of him."  
With that, she began to sing Carly Simon's "You're So Vain"  
Danny frowned and looked puzzled. "Why would you pick this song? I  
thought you liked me now," he asked, a little hurt.  
"Well, although the title does fit you, that's not it. Keep  
listening," she said with a smile. She pulled closer to Danny and put  
her head on his shoulder. "Now, listen," she said finally. He smiled  
as he heard "his" lines, and everything became clear.

"I had some dreams, there were clouds in my coffee…"

The End  
So that's it…I know there are some awkward parts, I wrote this more  
just to write TWW fic than to put it out, but I thought I'd share in  
case anyone would like to read it. Hope you liked it--Let me know! 

  

  


End file.
